San Diego, CA

Mayor Todd Gloria’s massive warehouse shelter will again be debated, but behind closed doors

Published

1 year ago

December 15, 2024

Mayor Todd Gloria’s massive warehouse shelter will again be debated, but behind closed doors

Five months after a brutal, hourslong, late-into-the-night hearing where few residents or elected leaders could find positive things to say about the prospect of turning an empty Middletown warehouse into one of the nation’s largest homeless shelters, the proposal is back before the San Diego City Council.

But details about the re-negotiated plan will, at least for the moment, stay hidden.

Council members are scheduled to meet Monday behind closed doors about the “price and payment terms” for acquiring the nearly 65,000-square-foot property at the intersection of Kettner Boulevard and Vine Street. Few other specifics were provided in the meeting agenda, and representatives for Mayor Todd Gloria, who’s long championed the proposal, and the site’s owner, local businessman Doug Hamm, didn’t provide additional information.

A spokesperson for Hamm said only that he still believed in the project.

The original lease could have cost the city $1 billion over the next three-plus decades. Its critics were legion.

The City Attorney’s office said the agreement introduced too many legal and financial risks. The Independent Budget Analyst worried it would take money from other services. Some experts questioned whether the facility could reasonably hold 1,000 beds, a key selling point, and city staffers didn’t independently assess the structure’s condition. Instead, they relied on a report commissioned by the landlord — which still found a high likelihood that “asbestos-containing material” and “lead-based paint” were inside.

The council voted in July to delay a final decision and many submitted changes they wanted to see in the lease, including smaller rent increases. Yet even if those demands are met, the project may still face opposition as the city stares down a deficit worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

Multiple council members criticized the proposal Wednesday during a budget committee meeting.

Vivian Moreno repeatedly wondered why San Diego should drop tens of millions of dollars next year on the shelter when services in historically neglected neighborhoods could be cut. Henry Foster III said the proposal felt like business as usual when perhaps the city’s entire approach to homelessness needed an overhaul.

“Colleagues may or may not support a mega-shelter,” said Joe LaCava, who was recently elected council president. But, he added, San Diego still needs “1,000 more beds somewhere, somehow.”

Homelessness countywide has grown every month for more than two-and-a-half years and there are nowhere near enough shelter spots for everybody asking.

While officials recently succeeded in finding beds to offset the closure of two downtown facilities, other shelters are still set to shutter down the line for a variety of reasons, including land being slated for new development. Some staffers on Wednesday characterized plans to add 1,000 beds as partially a way to replace what will be lost.

That reality may push San Diego leaders to put even more pressure on neighboring cities and county officials to boost their own shelter systems.

“The city should be building parks and libraries, firehouses and police divisions,” Councilmember Raul Campillo said this month in a speech, while “the county should be building shelters and units to address homelessness.”

“But until the county changes, the city will be stuck,” he added.

The County of San Diego has in recent years proposed shelter projects in Lakeside, Santee and Spring Valley, but leaders backed down in each case after some residents objected. The Board of Supervisors is currently hoping to build several dozen small cabins in Lemon Grove, though that too has received pushback.

County officials recently moved to continue issuing vouchers that help homeless residents rent motel rooms while they explore potential changes to the program.

The total cost of the crisis, from encampment sweeps to homelessness-related police calls to emergency room visits, is unknown.

It’s not yet clear when a public hearing might be held on the warehouse shelter. Some residents are nonetheless planning to weigh in during an open comment period Monday.

Originally Published: December 15, 2024 at 5:00 AM PST

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San Diego, CA

The Best Things to Do in San Diego: May 2026 | San Diego Magazine

Published

2 hours ago

April 20, 2026

Press Room

The Best Things to Do in San Diego: May 2026 | San Diego Magazine

When we think of May, we think of Mother’s Day, blooming flowers, sunny skies, and lots of fun, seasonal events in the city. This month, locals can dine on the creations of James Beard Award-Winning Chefs at Rancho Bernardo Inn, or take advantage of berry season at the annual Vista Strawberry Festival. Theatre lovers can enjoy a showing of Kim’s Convenience at The Old Globe, while the San Diego Natural History Museum invites art enthusiasts to view its latest marine-themed exhibit. Grab your tickets and crack open that planner. Here are all the best things to do in San Diego this month:

Concerts & Festivals | Theater & Art Exhibits | More Fun Things to Do

Concerts & Festivals in San Diego This Month

29

Louisiana legend Juvenile, enhances by the live instrumentation of The 400 Degreez Band, will perform career hits and his newest album, Boiling Point, at House of Blues San Diego.

Photo Credit: Dahlia Katz

Theater & Art Exhibits in San Diego This Month

5/5–6/1

Turning the spotlight on contemporary LGBTQ artists, the inaugural ArtSpectrum 2026 will showcase both the grand and intimate scale of contemporary painters, photographers, and mixed media artists at Village Arts Outreach in Balboa Park.

12–24

The only ordinary element of the San Diego International Fringe Festival is the constant thrill of the extraordinary. Discover a plethora of innovative performances at venues from Pacific Beach to Baja.

5/15–6/14

A Korean-Canadian family balances tradition and assimilation from their Toronto storefront in Ins Choi’s comforting satire Kim’s Convenience, making its local premier at The Old Globe.

5/22–2/2027

Ocean debris will receive a new beginning at the San Diego Natural History Museum. Using repurposed pollution, Washed Ashore: Art to Save the Sea depicts creatively sculpted marine life.

More Fun Things to Do in San Diego This Month

4/30–5/3

Enjoy fine dining at its finest from a lineup of gastronomic titans during 54 Hours with James Beard Award-Winning Chefs. Savor elegant meals, masterclasses, tastings, and more at Rancho Bernardo Inn.

2

Unlimited bites, regional craft beers, and animal observations are on the menu for San Diego Zoo Food, Wine & Brew (with live music), a culinary evening in support of the San Diego Wildlife Alliance.

7

Spend An Evening with David Sedaris, humorist, essayist, and best-selling author. Never afraid to point the pen at himself, Sedaris will share old favorites and works in progress in the classic satirical style he’s known for at Jacobs Music Center.

15–17

Say cheese! And toast to the Cheese & Libation Expo. Explore three days of all-you-can eat and drink fare at BRICK, along with boutique shopping and bountiful pairings.

PARTNER CONTENT

10 Years In, Puffer and Malarkey Are Just Getting Started

Elevating an Icon: Inside the La Jolla Beach & Tennis Clu…

16

Stroll the private grounds of several luxurious homes, accompanied by live music, tabletop designs, and outdoor artistry, during the Secret Garden Tour, La Jolla Historical Society‘s flora and fauna fundraiser.

24

Vista recalls its days as a strawberry-producing superpower through its free Strawberry Festival. Wear your berry best fit, watch film screenings, and enter contests for shortcake, pie, and sundae indulging.

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San Diego, CA

City considering cutting funding to resource center for those experiencing homelessness

Published

14 hours ago

April 20, 2026

Press Room

City considering cutting funding to resource center for those experiencing homelessness

Last week Mayor Todd Gloria released the budget proposal for the 2027 fiscal budget. Protected homeless services is among his top priorities mentioned in the proposal. However, some of the reductions he’s proposing could impact thousands of San Diegans experiencing homelessness.

Located on 17^th and K Street, the Neil Good Day Center offers an array of services to nearly seven thousand people experiencing homelessness. The services include giving them a place to shower and do laundry, and connecting them to a case manager, among others.

“These are critical services that are helping people off the streets, but really better their lives and their health and their employment situation as well,” Deacon Vargas with Father Joe’s Villages said.

Deacon Jim Vargas heads Father Joe’s Villages, which runs the center. He said through their prevention and diversion strategies, they’ve managed to keep nearly one thousand individuals from falling into homelessness.

“So by helping them pay rent, or helping them with their utilities, or helping them to reunite with family,” Vargas said.

Right now, the city allocates at least $850,000 per year to the Neil Good Day Center, according to Vargas.

But the future and funding for these services are in limbo because of Mayor Todd Gloria’s proposed budget cuts.

“The impact to those whom we’ve been serving the Daily Center would be very severe,” Deacon Vargas said.

In a statement to NBC 7, Mayor Todd Gloria said in part, “We must find more efficient and cost-effective ways to address this crisis and prioritize funding for programs that provide shelter beds and maximize resources to programs that place people into permanent housing.”

Since it’s still at a proposal stage, Deacon Vargas said it’s unclear how the city will decide to move forward.

However, Deacon Vargas said services would be significantly reduced because they would be forced to operate solely on a budget of about half a million dollars they receive from philanthropy.

“The hours would be cut. Some days would be cut. We would have showers that might be impacted because they’re given seven days a week and we’d close two days a week, then the showers would be five days a week, the case management,” Deacon Vargas said.

Deacon Vargas is certain of one thing.

He would like to continue offering services at the Day Center, even if the city goes through with the funding cuts.

“As we work with individuals at the Day Center and at Father Joe’s Villages, the community becomes healthier as a result of it,” Deacon Vargas said.

The budget also recommends additional cuts to homeless services, but does not give specifics as to where those cuts would be.

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